Budo Blog

Among the lower body submissions common in BJJ, the toehold is one of the most frequently used to attack the ankle. Within the toehold family, there is a unique version called the Estima Lock - named after the creator Victor Estima.

Shinshin Mugendo Art of Total Fighting 6 DVD Set with Ben OtakeBen Otake – Otake’s extensive experience with martial arts stems back to the early 50’s, beginning with judo. From there he studied karate and kempo and was one of Ed Parker’s first students. He then moved on to study with Tak Kubota of the International Karate Association, earning the rank of 6th Dan—some 30 plus years ago. Otake taught the Gosoku Ryu system (IKA) in Puerto Rico from 1967 to 1972. During his time as an instructor for the IKA he taught Pan American champion Manuel Gonzales and world class champion Tony Tulleners (to name just two). Today, Ben Otake teaches martial arts and self-defense the way he feels it was taught originally – for self-preservation rather than trophies. In order to better achieve this goal he began a new association with co-founder John Sells; they named it Shindokai. The focus of this association is to concentrate on those movements and techniques that are the most efficient and effective for self -defense. As Otake says, “A sword that doesn’t cut is just a symbol. Self defense must be grounded in reality to be effective.

Once you've closed your guard, purposely opening your guard can be a frightening experience for the beginner BJJ practitioner. We've compiled a list of our favorite Open Guard videos that will help you unravel the mystery that is the open guard to make your guard virtually dangerous and impassable.

1. Tinguinha's Open Guard for Beginners DVDAlthough he didn't invent the open guard, Carlos Gracie Jr blackbelt, Mauricio "Tinguinha" is famously known for having one of the most prolific open guards. A good place to start when beginning your openg guard study is with the master of the spider guard, "Tinguinha"

2 time black belt world champion, Michael Langhi is one of the most talented and detailed instructors on the planet. Known for his incredible guard, he is also Cobrinha's first black belt. On this DVD, Langhi teaches every detail of his dangerous De La Riva game including sweeps, transitions to other guards, and submissions..

The Reverse De La Riva guard is a new position that has become indispensable for the open guard BJJ player. On this ground-breaking DVD, world champion Michael Langhi teaches the how and why to use this guard, when to transition to a different guard, and how to sweep or submit your opponent. Bonus competition footage is also included!

The Single Leg X Guard is a form of open guard used by world champions like Marcelo Garcia and Leandro Lo.In this brand new 4 volume set BJJ black belt Stephan Kesting reveals his step-by-step formula for the Single Leg X Guard, including all the techniques and drills you need to get good fast.

The beginning BJJ student can easily get overwhelmed with the vast amount of techniques and terminology needed to understand the art. Here are 5 instructionals that we think any beginning student would greatly benefit from:

Next to the closed guard, the half guard is one of the most widely used guards in BJJ. When implemented properly, you can sweep, submit and take the back of almost any opponent. Below is our list of the top 5 Half Guard players and their respective instructionals.

Multiple time world champion Caio Terra is here to revolutionize your half guard! This voluminous 3 DVD set contains 111 half guard techniques taught from one of the most technical players in all of BJJ.

Lucas Leite's half guard is legendary in High Level BJJ. He's often seeing competing in the biggest events 2 weight classes higher than his own weight and implementing the very techniques he shows in this long awaited DVD set.

Watch any Bernardo Faria match and you'll see him employ one of the most devastating half guards in BJJ against literally the toughest opponents in BJJ. Bernardo shows you how to properly set up the half guard, sweep from various passes and positions and as well as sparring footage.

Nothing feels better than getting to deep half guard and sweeping your opponent just when he thinks he's got you smashed and thinks he's passing. Jeff is a master at this and on this 6 volume set, Jeff breaks down his complete deep half guard game.

The Reverse Half Guard is a position that few BJJ practitioners are comfortable being in. In this first ever instructional set devoted to the Reverse Half Guard, Philipe shows how to get into the position, how to sweep, and how to get the submission.

What is modern Jiujitsu? Stated simply, it's all a combination of movements and guards that weren't commonly seen until recent years. The beauty of Jiujitsu is that it's constantly evolving. That doesn't mean that "traditional Jiujitsu" is no longer effective, it certainly is. But the new, modern Jiujitsu is effective as well. So let's take a look at 6 top selling modern Jiujitsu instructionals:

1. Going Upside Down by Budo Jake Inversions is a core movement of modern Jiujitsu but it's one that is often glossed over in other instructionals. Budo Jake takes great care to show all of the components of proper inverting including many concepts, drills, & precautions. Get it to on DVDWatch now (LINK TO OD)2. Worm Guard by Keenan Cornelius Despite his youth, Keenan stormed on the scene and has taken out many of the top journeymen of the sport. Much of his success has come from his own innovation, mainly his crafty Worm Guard in which he uses his opponents lapel against him.

Get it on DVD3. Lasso Guard by Samir Chantre The lasso guard is a system of many different configurations and Samir is exactly the man to break it all down for you. From lasso X to Lasso De la Riva to Lasso half. Upgrade your open guard and Lasso guard with this comprehensive instructional.

Get it on DVD4. Guard Passing by Terere Many consider Terere to be the father of modern Jiujitsu. Having taught legends of the sport - Cobrinha & Andre Galvão, in this set you'll see the core concepts of the modern passing system, most notably the backstep pass.

Get it on DVDWatch now5. The Original Berimbolo by Samuel Braga The most famous sweep of "modern Jiujitsu" is the berimbolo and Samuel Braga breaks down all the important details and shows many different variations.

Get it on DVDWatch now6. Berimbolo Killer by Queixinho It's only a matter of time before your come across someone who berimbolos better than you. That's why you need Queixinho to show all the best ways to shut down and counter your opponents sweep attempts.

Everyone has to start somewhere when they are wanting to compete, so once you have honed your skills as best you can and have your white belt safely secured, the next progression is to try and prepare yourself for your first BJJ Tournament.

You can take a look at a list of the best BJJ Tournaments around so that you might be able to target where and when you might want to compete. It also makes sense to try and pick up some useful tips and advice from seasoned referees and competitors, who could give you some valuable insights into what to expect from the moment you confirm your entry.

Preparation is key

You want to try and get the best possible experience from competing in your first tournament, so the ideal approach is to give yourself somewhere between six and eight weeks in order to allow adequate opportunity to prepare as well as you can for the event.

It is perfectly understandable that you are going to be apprehensive and slightly nervous about the prospect of putting yourself under the scrutiny of a tournament environment, so it would not be that advisable to throw yourself into the deep end and enter yourself into a competition where you have not allowed an adequate amount of time to prepare as fully as possible.

Understanding weight classes

It would always be a good idea to liaise with your regular coach regarding what weight class you wish to compete in.

It should be pointed out that the weight classes represent the upper limits of each category rather than the bottom. Make enquiries to establish whether the specific rules for that tournament dictate if the weigh-in is just prior to the match itself, the day before, or when you arrive on the morning of the event.

This is highly relevant, as the timing of the weigh-in could affect whether you make the weight category limit, as these timings can make a difference of anything between three and five pounds in your weight.

Depending on the information you get about the weigh-in procedure and timings, you can then decide if you need to consider entering a dropping down a weight class, to avoid any problems.

Well-drilled

Every good competitor has a game plan that they are going to work to during the competition, so make sure you are giving yourself the best possible chance of having a positive experience, by formulating a basic game plan.

It is essential that you try to be well-drilled and practiced in basic techniques like rolling and sparring, as well as working on a few go-to escape moves from bad positions, that you can put into action during the match, without losing valuable momentum and points.

Talk to your regular coach about how to build a basic game plan that incorporates a series of escape moves, as well as practicing your takedown and guard pull from a standing position.

Remember that you may well be competing in as many as five matches in a relatively short space of time, so work on ways to conserve your energy, which can be done more easily when you have a basic game plan that allows your moves to flow as naturally as possible.

Consider your training schedule

Many sports competitors develop a schedule that allows them to peak at just the right time, and this is something you want to try to do so that you are primed on the day for your chosen competition.

This is an area where your coaches and training partners can give you some guidance and assistance in preparing for your competitive experience.

Have a conversation with your coaches about your current training schedule and try to evaluate whether you need to step it up and gradually increase the amount of time you are spending on the mat each week, building up to the optimum point where you are able to peak at just the right time.

Learning the referee commands

There are four fundamental commands from the referee that you need to familiarize yourself with, so that you can respond in the appropriate manner during the heat of competition.

Combatche is the command to stop or start the fight. Parou simply means stop and don’t move, which is generally called when standup goes out of bounds. Lutche is a stalling penalty and Falta is a relatively new command which is used when a penalty is awarded.

It is always going to be a challenge to get tournament-ready but if you prepare as well as you can and heed the advice of coaches and referees who are familiar with what is required, you should give yourself the best chance of enjoying your competitive experience.

Ellie Wallis became interested in martial arts as a child, and hasn't stopped as an adult, even taking on the role of referee at kids tournaments on occasion. She writes about BJJ hoping to encourage others to give it a try!

Budo Jake welcomes Cesar Gracie black belt, Jason Manly to the studio this week. Jason is focuses his efforts on teaching and training MMA in the Orange County area. In the technique portion of the show, Jason shows one of his favorite counters when your opponent switches to reverse half guard when trying to pass. Please enjoy and leave a comment and subscribe.

We accept these payment methods:

NEWSLETTER

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news and special offers.

LATEST POSTS

The Estima Lock and Estima Lock Escape by Budo Jake

Among the lower body submissions common in BJJ, the toehold is one of the most frequently used to attack the ankle. Within the toehold family, there is a unique version called the Estima Lock - named after the creator Victor... read more

Labor Day 2017 - Save 15% off everything in the store!

We know it's the end of summer but we want to help you cheer up a little by offering 15% off everything in the store! Use coupon code labor2017 at checkout and receive 15% off your order Coupon Code: labor2017... read more

10% off all Gis and Belts this weekend!

Save 10% off all gis and belts this weekend. This includes BJJ and Judo Gis plus all styles and colors of belts. Use coupon code kimono at checkout to receive your discount. All orders over $125 automatically receive free shipping.... read more